Jmprovement in electric baths



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

IMPROVEMENT IN ELECTRIC BATHS.v

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 34,425, dated February 18, 1862.

.To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it`kncwn that I, MARK W. HOUSE, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ollio, have invented certain Improvements in the Apparatus through which to A I ply Electricity in the Healing Art; and I do hereby declare the following to be a correct description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a longitudinal elevation of my improved bathing-tub., Fig. 2 is a transverse elevation. Fig. 3 is a view of the tub as seen from above.

The same parts are indicated by the saine letters in all the figures.

The nature lof my invention consists in the more perfect control of the electric current through the bath.

a in Figs. l, 2, and 3 marks the tube, cylin drical in form, as shown at Fig. 2.

b shows a net-work non-conducting tra-y, in which theperson rests While in the bath.v This trayr'ests upon an insulated support, J, which runs the entire length ofthe base ot' the tray.

f f are arms that are hinged at the center of each end ofthe tubl in such manner that either arm can be rotated freely about their center of motion Without disturbing the other. It will he seen that these arms cannot maire a coinplete rotary motion, in consequence of'the interference of the support J. Upon these arms I place insulated metal conductors, shown at c in all the iigures. v arecharged with. electricity through the connectingwires /L h. Attached to these poles e are Sponges d, by means of a wire orliexible conductor, hh, shown in all the figures. These poles e e are so attached to the rotating arms ff that they can be freely traversed the entire length of them. By this' simple arrangementv ot' traversing and rotating thel two poles of the vcurrent of electricity it can be controlled or caused to pass in any direction through the conducting medium. When either of the' poles These conductors or poles.

c e are caused to rot-ate above the water-line, in case of a waterbath,.the current will pass onto the sponge, which can be conducted to the proper place by the patient ortlle attendant.

The inclinedjend of the tray is designed for' the head of the patient to rest upon. 'On the under side of this incline is hingeda good con-V ducting metallic -pIa-te, in such a manner that it can be brought close in contact with thein-` oline of the tray or be depressed at pleasure. By this arrangement the intensity ot' the current passing upon the head and neck can be regulated without lchanging the quantity.

Thismetallic plate c c, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, is supplied from the electric machine also by conducting-wires h It.

` The manner of connecting the movable poles of the electric current with the electric Inachine in relation to the direction ot' the current or the positive and negative poles would depend entirely upon the by the use of electricity.

I would further say that, in the construction ot this bathing-apparatus, all materials used, except the electrodes, should he non-condnct ing, or made so by insulation, whether movable or stationaryA What'L claim as my improvement, and desire toseeure by Letters Patent, is-

y1. The insulator J, for the support of the basket b, for the purpose described, in combination with the insulated rotating rods f and ltraversing-poles c, when arranged and operating as and for the purpose speciiied.

2. The head-plate C,fwhen hinged to' the insulator J in such between the plate and head ofthe patient can `be increasedl or diminished, for the purpose'of concentrating or diffusing the electrical current through the part exposed to its action. MARK W. HOUSE. ,Witnesses:

R. W. VARNEY, J. L. BENTON.

object to be gained a manner that the distance n 

